Sharron Davies’ Unloader story

Sharron Davies has been plagued by a knee injury since childhood, but an Unloader brace has allowed the former Olympian to exercise pain-free for the first time in years.

“Immediately after the Unloader brace was fitted, I was able to walk without pain for the first time in years. I have even started running again.” Sharron Davies, Olympic medallist & sports commentator.

The source of knee pain

Twelve months prior to competing on the world’s sporting stage, at the age of 13, I had an accident that was to be a defining moment in my swimming career.

While running a 100m race at school, my foot got caught in a pothole and my knee became twisted at a 90° angle. MRI scans didn’t exist then, so my dad strapped up my leg and I struggled through training for three months.

Many years later, in the mid-1990s, an accident on the set of the TV show Gladiators damaged my knee again. I couldn’t put any weight on it and I was told I’d need reconstructive surgery on my cruciate ligament, it would become the first of nine operations.

The Unloader One

Immediately after the Unloader brace was fitted, I was able to walk without pain for the first time in years. I couldn’t believe it. I can now walk the dog for longer and have even started running again. At some point, I will need to have at least a partial knee replacement. I feel I’m too young for a full one as they only last 10 years and less for me as I am physically active. If this is repeated, there would simply be no bone left to operate on.

The surgeon would have to cut away bone to fit the artificial joint, there would simply be no bone left to operate on. My Unloader has given me options I didn’t have and I’m now looking forward to a much more active future.

Unloader Moment 2017. The Unloader Moment is defined as the moment the Unloader One brace is fitted to a person suffering from knee pain for the first time and seeing their instant reaction and amazement. Sharron Davies met with Össur at an educational meeting and after a number of discussions about the benefits of the Unloader One challenged Össur to demonstrate the knee brace in action. Össur Academy. Uploaded on Youtube Sep 12, 2017

Meet Mike and share his Unloader Moment. Mike is a Warehouse Supervisor who was a keen walker and DIY enthusiast prior to the onset of knee pain which reduced his overall mobility. After 6 years of using painkillers to help manage the condition Mike was looking for a different way of managing pain and ultimately improving his mobility. Find out more about Mike and his Unloader Moment.

In May 2014 filming took place under the supervision of a clinician as well as being witnessed by Dr Sheila Strover from KNEEguru, a website dedicated to offering learning resources pertaining to the knee joint. Dodec02. Published on Youtube Jun 26, 2014

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Meet Zanthe and share her Unloader Moment. Cabin crew member and competitive horse rider Zanthe suffers from pain on the inside of her knee. This affects her working life as she needs to be at full fitness to carry out her duties. See how Zanthe responds to being fitted with an Unloader for the first time and the increased confidence she has in her knee.

In May 2014 filming took place under the supervision of a clinician as well as being witnessed by Dr Sheila Strover from KNEEguru, a website dedicated to offering learning resources pertaining to the knee joint. Dodec02. Published on Youtube Jul 7, 2014